Of Ovens and Vampires and Leaving the One You Love
by OcherMe
Summary: US Version. Bishop knows the only way Aidan will come back to him is if Josh is out of the picture. Lots of hurt!Josh, protective, angsty!Aidan. Josh/Aidan and implied past Aidan/Bishop.


Written for the Being Human Kink Meme on Livejournal, thought I would cross post here!

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Aidan could smell his blood. It had that distinctly unpleasant werewolf smell that was omnipresent present on Josh, but mostly it smelled of their home, of warmth and awkward moments and the coffee no one drank. A growl built in Aidan's throat as he thought of what they could be doing to Josh.

Charging through the door, Aidan followed Josh's scent through the familiar building, noting the distinct, unnatural emptiness allowing him to make his way unhindered. He passed through the door to where Bishop liked to keep his "conquests," only to be stopped by a pair of cold hazel eyes.

"Hello Aidan," Bishop smiled. "So glad you could join us." Aidan's eyes flickered to Josh sitting behind Bishop, blood caked face and hair. Josh looked up at Aidan, his terrified expression on his face making him look so much younger and even more innocent. Aidan flashed his gaze back to Bishop, aware of the other vampires in the room.

"Let him go," Aidan seethed.

"What, your little _pet?_" Bishop spat the word. He stepped closer to Josh, who looked scared enough Aidan thought he might start crying. Bishop must have known to time Josh's abduction during a new moon when his heightened abilities were gone. From Josh's expression, he realized this too.

"You know Aidan," Bishop continued casually. "You're getting to be more trouble than you're worth. Here you are, playing house with your dog, denying us, your family, and expecting us to clean up all your little 'mistakes'" Bishop made air quotes.

Aidan frowned. "Why Josh? What's he done?" Bishop's eyes flashed. "Why not just stop helping me?"

"I can't let you just leave bodies lying around. You may not like us, Aidan, but we're your family, and I can't let you lead any trails back to us."

Bishop stepped closer until his face was only inches away from Aidan's, fingers brushing Aidan's side, sending a shiver up his spine.

"It seems to me the only thing keeping you from us is your little pet here," Bishop's words were warm on Aidan's face. "Would you feel bad if you left him? All on his own, no one to take him for walks or keep his PMS under control?"

Bishop was behind Josh, gripping his arm and yanking him to his feet. Josh wavered and Aidan tensed.

"I've been trying to figure out how I could get you to come back to us, and then I realized it was so simple. Why not just get rid of what was keeping you from us?" Bishop looked at Aidan. "There's no need for you to play house anymore."

Aidan started towards Josh, freezing when Bishop pulled out a knife. He looked at it, amused, and shrugged. "Normally I wouldn't bother with this, but werewolf blood is so revolting."

"Bishop please. I'll do what you want, I'll join you, just let him go."

"Aidan, no," Josh's voice was barely above a whisper. The raw fear in it pained Aidan. Their eyes locked and Aidan knew. Josh was the only thing that mattered. He always had been.

"How touching," Bishop mocked, a dark look near jealousy flashing across his face. "Unfortunately that's not going to work. I can't trust you anymore Aidan, not like I used to. So it seems to me, there is only one way I can solve this little problem and keep you from running home to the family dog…"

Bishop's knife glinted. Josh fought Bishop's grip and Aidan lunged towards them. The next thing he knew was the sound of plaster cracking as he was thrown against a wall. He could see Josh struggling with Bishop out of the corner of his eye. A vampire Aidan didn't recognize grabbed him roughly by the shirt, slamming him against the wall, plaster and drywall raining to the floor, then threw him across the room. He fell to the floor, heading spinning. Even with his ears ringing, he could hear Bishop's distinct chuckle and he felt his stomach sink.

Blinking dust out of his eyes, he saw Josh curled on the floor with his back towards him, Bishop standing over him. Aidan crawled over to Josh, oblivious to everyone else in the room. The only two thoughts his mind had room for were "Josh" and "_nononononono._"Josh's shoulder shook as Aidan gripped it. He looked over his friend's body. Blood was pooling on the floor, the hilt of the knife imbedded in Josh's stomach. If his heart still worked, it would have stopped beating at the sight.

"Shit, no," Aidan whispered in horror. Josh raised pleading eyes to Aidan's. Unable to take it, Aidan had to look away, his hands gripping Josh's gently, moving them away from the knife. Blood oozed from the wound, already soaking Josh's shirt. Josh inhaled sharply as Aidan probed the wound. He didn't need all his years of working as a nurse tell him this was bad. Really, really bad.

"Aidan," Josh's voice brought his attention back. Josh raised his head, wincing at the movement. "I…" A spasm shook Josh. "I think I left the oven on."

A noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh came from Aidan. Josh curled in tighter around the wound. Aidan moved Josh's head to rest on his lap, stroking his face.

"I think we're alone," Josh whispered. Aidan looked up, startled. He was right; the other vampires were nowhere to be seen. Confusion creased his face before he realized what this could mean.

"I'm taking you to the hospital." Aidan lifted Josh's arm over his shoulders, his own arm wrapping around Josh's back, the other under his knees. Josh cried out, his hands tightly gripping Aidan shoulder as Aidan lifted him off the ground.

"I'm sorry," Aidan soothed. Josh buried his head into Aidan's shoulder; Aidan realized that Josh _completely_ trusted him, a vampire, whose 'family' just kidnapped and then tried to kill him. Aidan couldn't believe he'd never noticed it before; despite the number of times Aidan slipped up, gone against everything Josh believed in and jeopardized their chance to live a relatively normal life, Josh still trusted him.

Josh was awkward, and practically incapable of expressing his emotions, which really was endearing in a way, and if Aidan hadn't been so wrapped up in own problems, maybe he would have noticed this long before. Maybe he would have recognized that ache for what it was whenever Josh did something socially inept, or when he was enthusiastically explaining something he had watched on whatever nerdy science channel he liked to watch (or masturbate to, but Aidan wasn't going to judge), or when he made enough food for all his roommates, even though he was the only one who even ate.

Aidan ran. He ran as fast and as smoothly as he could, holding Josh close, ignoring the blood that was soaking into his own shirt. He entered the ER, shouting, and Josh was taken away from him, an oxygen mask strapped to his face, being wheeled away on a stretcher, eyes still holding Aidan's gaze until he was gone, disappearing around a corner.

A nurse stopped Aidan from following, leading him to the waiting room where she began asking him a million questions, to which he only half listened. He made up some story about Josh getting mugged and she nodded sadly, assuring him she would get him as soon as he was allowed. Aidan sat numbly, staring at his hands, Josh's blood beginning to dry and flake off.

He waited, only once getting up to wash himself off. Nurses and doctors rushed by, all of them looking at him sadly and whispering to each other. They knew he lived with Josh and that they'd been pretty much inseparable as friends since they first met.

"Aidan?" A voice broke through Aidan's thoughts and he looked up to see Beth, a nurse who'd been working here long before Aidan started, standing in front of him. Aidan stood up.

"Is he okay?"

Beth nodded. "He'll be fine. He's lucky the knife didn't hit any major organs or arteries, and that you got him here before he lost too much blood. We had to give him a blood transfusion, and we don't want him moving around much for a while, but he should be fine." Beth gave Aidan a comforting smile and squeezed his arm. "You can go in now, if you like." Aidan followed Beth to Josh's room.

"You know where to find us," Beth said gently, shutting the door and leaving Aidan alone with Josh. Josh was asleep, his face paler than the crisp white hospital sheets. Aidan sunk into the chair next to his bed, gripping Josh's limp hand.

He knew what he had to do. This was exactly what Bishop had planned. He had stabbed Josh, and left so Aidan could bring him to get help. He knew that Aidan would be out for his blood if he had killed Josh. He'd wanted to remind Aidan that he could take away everything Aidan cared about. The only way those he loved would be safe was if he was gone. Sure, Bishop wouldn't dare kill Josh; he knew how strong Aidan was. But that doesn't mean there wouldn't be others. Or vampires like Rebecca who wanted Aidan for themselves, and thought of Josh like Bishop did…as a pet.

He had to leave. Josh wasn't safe with him there anymore. He fumbled in his pocket for his phone, flipping it open and dialing Emily's number.

"Emily, its Aidan."

"Aidan? Is everything alright?"

Aidan paused.

"Aidan?"

"Josh is hurt. There was…he was mugged. You should be here."

"Oh my god, is he okay?" Emily's voice shook.

"He'll be fine…just come."

Aidan closed his phone. Standing, Aidan leaned over Josh, his fingers lightly touching Josh's cheek. He leaned in, his lips pressing to Josh's. He only regretted that he hadn't realized how he felt before now. That it took almost losing Josh to realize how much he loved him.

Aidan left, only stopping for a brief second in the doorway to look back. And then he was gone.

Josh's eyes blinked open, blearily searching for the vampire he knew would be by his side, only to have his heart drop when he saw he was alone. Frowning, he raised a hand to his face. His lips were tingling.


End file.
